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How did Roderick 'Pooh' Clark die? Hi-Five founding member passes away at 49

While Clark's family has yet to confirm an official cause of death, reports said the entertainer died of an illness after battling pneumonia

Roderick "Pooh" Clark, a founding member of the 1990s R&B group Hi-Five, has died. He was 49 years old at the time of his death. Clark's R&B group only lasted a few years, but they left a legacy of chart-topping tunes behind them.

While Clark's friends and family have yet to confirm an official cause of death, TMZ said the entertainer died of an illness after battling pneumonia at a hospital in Waco, Texas. Clark was engaged in a terrible vehicle accident about three decades ago, which left him paralyzed from the neck down and exposed him to infection, according to the site.

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"We were blessed and had a great time as a family. A huge part of what made it fun, was because of Roderick 'Pooh' Clark," Jonathan Kinloch, the group's former manager, said in a statement. "He was the serious member, who made sure that the guys together worked hard. But also, we’re going to have a fun time as teenagers!"

Martinez Little, Hi-Five's musical director, remarked on Facebook, "Pooh was the most athletic of them all. In basketball he could stand right under the basket and jump straight up and dunk the ball. Our play fights and Super Soaker battles were epic. We also used to battle each other hard on the Bball court in most cities. I still miss the fun times touring with my little brothers as Musical Director. My condolences to Hi5 and his family. R.I.P. Pooh."

The R&B group's chart topping hits included the song "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)", which reached No 1 in 1991. The band's self-titled first album was recorded by original members Clark, Tony Thompson, Marcus Sanders, Russell Neal, and Toriano Easley. They were all Waco natives, with the exception of Easley, who was born in Oklahoma.

"She's Playing Hard to Get" and "Quality Time" were among their other hits in their three-year existence, and some of their songs were featured in the films 'Menace II Society' and 'Sister Act 2'. Their time as a group came to an end abruptly after Clark was paralysed in a car accident in 1992 on Interstate 95 when his vehicle was rear-ended and flipped.